Rail anchor



Jan. 2, 1923. 1,440,525, L. J. BERKELEY.

RAIL ANCHOR.

FILED APR. 2o. 192|. 2 SHEETS-Snam 1.

I nior l Jan. 2, 1923.

L. J. BERKELEY. RAIL ANCHOR.

FILED APR.20, 192i.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented Jian. 2, i923.

LAURENCE J'. BERKELEY, 0F MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR T0 THE P & IVI COMPANY, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION 0F ILLINOIS.

RAIL ANCHOR.

Application led April 20,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LAURENCE J. BERKE- LEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee `and State of Wisconsin, have invented. certhe rail by spring pressure.

A more specific object of my invention is to provide an improved two-piece rail anchor comprising a. rigid yoke member, adapted to engage opposite edges of the base of a rail, and a. spring member cooperating with the yoke to hold it in operative engagement with the rail and adapted to resist the tendency which the vibration of the rail or other disturbing influences have to loosen the grip of the device on the rail.

A further object of my invention is to provide a rail anchor having a. rigid one piece yoke member formed at one e'fnd with a. hook-shaped portion adapted to lit over and engage the upper surface ofI one base flange of a rail and take a pinching grip on the upper and lower surfaces of said base flange, andv formed at the otherend with a vertically disposed abutment which engages the vertical edge only of the other base flange of the rail; the hook-shaped portion being formed whereby the yoke may be fitted on the rail by fitting the hook-shaped portion over one edge of the rail base and then raising the other end of the yoke to its operative position by rocking the yoke on a horizontal axis longitudinally of the rail.

The invention has for further objects the novel arrangements, constructions and combinations of parts, hereinafter described and claimed, for carrying out the above stated objects, and such other objects as will appear from the following description.

The invention is illustrated in certa-in preferred embodiments in tlie accompanying drawings wherein Fig. l is a side elevation of a rail anchor device constructed in accordance with my 1921. Serial No. 462,848.

invention, the samebeing shown in full lines in its operative position on a rail, the dotted lines indicating a position of the yoke member of the device Iwhile being applied to the 1 to 3 inclusive;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of a modified construction showing the device applied to a rail, the rail being indicated in dotted lines; and

Fig. 7 is a view in perspective of the yoke member shown in Fig. 6.

Like characters of .reference designate corresponding parts in the several figures of the dra-wings.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive of the drawings: 10 designates a yoke member, made preferably of cast metal, formed at one end with a hook-shaped jaw portion 11 adapted to engage the vertical edge 12 and the upper and lower surfaces 13 and 14, respectively, of one of the base flanges of the rail, and formed at t-he other end with a. vertically disposed abutment 15 which'en- .gages the vertical edge of the other base flange of the rail. The distance between the vertical portions of the jaw 12 and the abutment 15 is preferably, though not necessarily, substantially the same. as the width of the rail base, so that the yoke when applied Will stand substantially at right angles to the length of the rail. In order to facilitate the application of the device to a rail, the portion of the'yoke defining the lower part of the jaw 11 is inclined downwardly, as indicated at 16, so that the abut-- nient 15 will clear the edge of the rail when the anchor is in the position shown in dott-ed lines in Fig. 1. The portion of the yoke adjacent the jaw portion 11 is preferably wider than'the portion adjacent the jaw 15, and is .formed with a depending arm 17 which projects toward the tie 18 and functions as a fulcrum to tilt the yoke to cause the jaw 11 iiol to grip the upper and lower surfaces of the rail base. The lower end of the 'arm 1s formed with a fiat surface 19 providing a seat for a. curved spring or key 2() which thereby tilting the yoke) in a vertical plane so as to force the edges 21, 22 of the jaw portion 1l into pinching contact with the upper and lower surfaces 13, 141 of the rail base. The tension of the spring 20, in

addition to rocking the yoke member sov as to effect a pinching grip on the upper and lower surfaces of the base fiange, exerts.

vertical pressure adjacent the edge 12 of the rail base, so as to support the abutment 15 of the yoke in its operative position adjacent the opposite edge ofthe rail base. The upper edge 23 of the spring 19 preferably inclines downwardly toward the longitudinal center of the rail so that the maximum vertical pressure of the spring will be exerted between the point 24 of the jaw portion 11 and the edge 12 of the rail base. The point 24 of the Jaw 11, it will be noted, provides the axis on which the yoke is rocked from the dotted line position (Fig. l) to its operative position.

A structure of the above character, being adapted to be rocked on a horizontal axis so as to bring the rail-engaging portions of the jaw 11 into gripping contact with the rail base, may be applied to rails having base flanges which differ in thickness or contour, as the clearance between the rail engaging portions of the jaw and the upper and lower surfaces of the rail will be taken up by the rocking movement of the anchor device.

In applying the device to a rail, the yoke is passed under the rail base at substantially right angles to the length of the rail,

and the hook-shaped jaw 11 'fitted over oneedge of the rail base, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1. The abutment end 15 of the yoke is then raised until the yoke member assumes the full line position shown in Fig. 1. The spring member 20 is then positioned on the seat 19 of the arm 17 so as to engage with the under surface of the rail base at a point a short distance away from the tie 18, such, for example, as indicated in Fig. 2. The spring member 20 is held in this position and the yoke moved toward the tie, whereby the spring is tensioncd by bending the same to a more pronounced curve. The initial position of the springis preferably such that the movement of the anchor toward the tie. for example, from the position shown in Fig.

the outer surface of the spring bears against the tie. When the spring is force-d against the tie, for example, by the creeping movelment of the rail toward the tie, this pressure will have a tendency to straighten the spring and thereby increase its pressure against the under surface of the rail and the arm 1. so as to increase the pinching grip of the jaw 11 on the upper and lower surfaces of the rail base. Anyl clearance that may exist between the edges of the rail base and vertical faces of the jaw 11, and abutment 15 will be taken up by a slight skewing action of the yoke when the rail is subjected to a creeping pressure. Under such conditions the yoke will take a firm shackle hold on the vertical edges of the rail base.

In Figs. 6 and 7 I have illustrated a modification in which the inner edge of the .spring member 20a extends into a recess 26 when it is in its applied position so as to prevent displacement of the spring member during a retrograde movement of the rail. The lower end of the arm 17a of this modification is also preferably formed with a recess 19a adapted to receive the lower end of the spring member 20a. In other respects the device shown in these figures may be the same in construction as that shown in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive. f

In applying this device to a rail, the spring member 20, when arranged in the position shown in Fig. 2, stands, as indicated in dotted lines, beyond the end of the lug 27 of Fig. 6 until the yoke is moved toward the tie to tension the spring. After the spring has been tensioned and positioned adjacent'the tie, it may be driven transversely of the rail until its inner vertical edge enters the recess 26.

While I have described my invention in certain preferred embodiments, it will be obvious that other modifications might be made without departure from the spirit of my invention. I therefore do not wish to be limited to the exact structures shown and described, except in so far as specific limitations may appear in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A rail anchor comprising a yoke meinber adapted to bear againstthe under surface of a rail base and engaging opposite edges ofsaid rail base, and a bendable key member cooperating with the yoke adapted to hold the yoke in its operative position.

2. A rail anchor comprising a yoke member for engaging opposite edges of a rail base, and a key member cooperating with the D to exert pressure on said yoke tol rock the same on a horizontal axis.

3. A rail anchor comprising a yoke member lfor engaging opposite edges of a rail base, and a key member cooperating with the yoke adapted, when in its applied position, to exert pressure on said yoke to rock the same on a horizontal axis transversely of the rail.

4. A rail anchor comprising a yoke member for engaging opposite edges of a rail base, and a key cooperating with said yoke adapted, when in its applied position, to exert ressure on said yoke to rock the same on a orizontal a-xis extending transversely of the rail to effect a gripping contact of the yoke with the rail.

5. A rail anchor comprising a yoke member for engaging opposite edges of a rail base, and a key cooperating with said yoke adapted, when in its applied position, to exert pressure on said yoke to rock the same on a horizontal axis extending longitudinally of the rail, and thereby support the yoke in its operative position.

6. A rail anchor comprising a yoke member for engaging opposite edges ofa rail base, and a key cooperating with said yoke adapted, when in its applied position, to exert pressure on said yoke, to rock the same on a horizontal axis extending transversely of the rail and on a horizontal axis extending longitudinally of the rail.

7. A rail anchor comprising a rail gripping member7 and a spring key interposed between said member and the rail base adapted to rock said gripping member to effect a gripping contact of said member with the rail base.

8. A rail anchor comprising a rail gripping'member, and a spring key interposed between said member and the rail base adapted to rock said member to effect a. gripping contact of the same with the upper and lower surfaces of the rail base.

9. A rail anchor comprising a rail gripping member, and a spring key interposed between said member and the rail base adjacent one end of said member and adapted to rock said member to effect a gripping contact of said member with the rail base.

10. A rail anchor comprisinga rail gripping member for engaging opposite edges of a rail base, and a spring key cooperating with said rail gripping member adapted, when in its applied position to rock said gripping member into gripping contact with the rail base and to provide a tie abutment,

11. A rail anchor comprising a yoke member for engaging opposite edges of a rail base, and a spring cooperating with said yoke adapted to exert pressure on the yoke to rock it into gripping contact with the rail base; said spring being arranged to provide a tie abutment whereby said spring pressure is increased when the rail is subjected to creeping pressure.

12. A rail anchor comprising a yoke member for engaging opposite edges of a rail base, and a sprin cooperating with said yoke and strained 1n its ope-rative position to exert pressure on the yoke to rock the same into gripping contact with the rail base; said spring being arranged to provide a tie abutment whereby said spring pressure is increased when the rail is subjected to creeping pressure.

13. A rail anchor comprising a yoke member for engaging opposite edges of al rail base, and a spring member adapted to be strained in its operative position to exert pressure on said yoke whereby the yoke is rocked linto gripping Contact with the rail; the spring being arranged to abut against a tie whereby it is subjected to further strain when the rail is moved longitudinally toward said tie.

14. A rail anchor comprising a yoke member for engaging opposite edges of al rail base, and a vertically disposed spring member positioned between said rail base and yoke member and adapted to be strained in its operative posit-ion to exert pressure on said yoke whereby the yoke is held in gripping contact with the rail; the spring being arranged to abut against a tie whereby it is subjected to further strain when the rail is moved longitudinally toward said tie.

15. A rail anchor comprising a yoke member for engaging opposite edges of a rail base, and a spring member interposed between the under-surface of the rail base and a portion of said yoke and adapted to be strained in its operative position; said spring being curved in vertical section and adapted to bear against a tie whereby movement of the rail toward said tie increases the grip of the anchor device on the rail.

16. A rail anchor comprising `a yoke member for engaging opposite edges `of a rail base, and a spring member interposed between the under-surface of said rail base and a portion of said yoke and adapted to be strained in its operative position; said spring being curved in vertical section and adapted to bear against a tie, whereby movement of the rail toward said tie tends to straighten said spring and thereby increases the grip of the anchor device on the rail.

17. A' rail anchor com risinff a foke formed With a jaw portion to engage the upperand lower surfaces of one of the base flanges of a rail and with an abutment for engaging the vertical edge of the other base Bange, and a key for supporting the abutment end of said yoke in operative position and adapted to bear against a tie.

18. A rail anchor comprising a yoke formed with a jaw portion to engage the upper and lower surfaces of one of the base flanges of a rail and with an abutment for engaging `the vertical edge of the other base ange, and a key member interposed between the undersurface of said rail and a portion of said yoke and adjacent said jaw portion adapted to support the abutment end of said yoke in operative position and provide a tie abutting foot.

19. A rail anchor comprising a yoke formed with a hook-shaped jaw adapted to fit over one edge of a rail base and with "an abutment for engaging the opposite edge of said base, and a spring interposed between said yoke and rail base and adapted to be strained when the anchor is applied to the rail so as to exert pressure against said yoke to rock it into gripping engagement with the rail base.

20. A rail anchor comprising a yoke formed with a hook-shaped jaw adapted to lit over one edge of a rail base and with an abutment for engaging the opposite edge of said base. and a spring interposed between said yoke and rail base adjacent said jaw and adapted to'be strained when the anchor is applied to the rail, so ais to exert pressure against said yoke.

21. A rail anchor comprising a yoke for engaging opposite edges of a rail, and a spring member cooperating therewith which is strained when the device is-appliedr to a rail, whereby pressure is exerted on the yoke to support it against the under-surface of the rail base and to rock it into gripping contact therewith.

22. A rail anchor comprising avyoke for engaging opposite edges of the rail, and a spring member cooperating therewith which is strained when the device is applied to a rail, whereby pressure is exerted on the yoke at one side of its longitudinal center to support it against the under-surface ofthe rail base and to rock it into gripping contact therewith.

23. A rail anchor comprising a yoke for.

engaging opposite edges of a rail base, and a vertically disposed spring member cooperating therewith which is strained when the device is applied to a rail, whereby pressure is exerted on the yoke atone side ofits longitudinal center to' support it against the under-surface of the lrail base and to rock it into gripping contact therewith.A

.24. A rail anchor comprising a rail base. embraclng member formed wlth a depending flange, and a spring engaging sald ra1l and [said 'lange and adapted to exert pressure to rock said embracing member into gripping contact with the raily base; said spring being positioned to abut againsta tie when the device is in its applied position whereby said spring pressure is increased when the -rail is subjected to creeping pressure.

25. A rail anchor comprising a yoke formed with jaws for engaging opposite edges of a rail base, and a spring member for supporting said yoke in gripping contact with the rail; the distance between said jaws being substantially the same as the width of the rail base whereby the anchor, when in its applied position, stands at substantially right angles to the length of the rail.

26. A rail anchor comprising a yoke provided at one end with a hook shaped jaw adapted to lit over one edge of a rail base, a vertically disposed. portion at the other end of the yoke providing an abutment for engaging the opposite edge of said base, a downwardly extending arm, and a spring key member positioned to bear against the under-surface of said rail Ibase and said arm and adapted to support said yoke in its rail i gripping position; the distance between said jaw and said abutment being substantially the same as the width of the rail base and the portion of the yoke defining'the lower portion of said hook-shaped jaw being inclined downwardly, for the purpose described.

27. A rail anchor comprising a yoke formed at oneend witha hook-shaped jaw adapted to it over one edge of a rail base, a vertically disposed portion at` the other end of the yoke providing an abutment for engaging the opposite Yedge of said rail base, anarm adjacent said hook-'shaped jaw extending downwardly toward a tie and formed with a spring supporting seat, and a spring adapted to be stressed between said seatand the under surface of said base `to bias said hooked-shaped jaw to grip the upper and lower surfaces ot' Said b'ase.

28. A rail anchor-comprising a yoke provided at one end with a hook-shaped jaw adapted to fit over one edge of a rail base, a vertically disposed portion at the other end of the yoke providing an abutment for engaging the opposite edge of said base, an

arm adjacent said hook-shaped jaw extending downwardly toward a tie and formed with a spring supporting seat, and a spring adapted to be stressed between said seat and the under surface of said rail base to bias'" said hook-shaped jaw to grip the upper and lower surfaces of said rail`base; the distance between said jaw-and said abutment being substantially the same as the width of the rail base and the portion of the yoke defining the lower portion of said. hookshaped jaw being inclined downwardly, forv the purpose described.

29. A rail anchor comprising a yoke member providediat one end with a hookshaped jaw adapted to fit over one edge of a rail base, a vertically disposed portion at the other end of the yoke providingan abutment for engaging the opposite edge of said rail base, an arm adjacent said hookshaped jaw extending downwardly toward a tie and formed with a spring supporting seat, and a spring adapted to be stressed between said seat and the under-surface of said base to bias said hook-shaped jaw to grip the upper and lower surfaces of said base; said'spring member. beingl positioned to abut against atie adjacent one end vor' said yoke wherebythe jaw and said zvertically disposed portion of said yoke grip the opposite edges of `the rail base with a shackle hold when the rail is moved longitudinally. 30. A rail anchor comprising a rail base engaging yoke formed with a depending arm provided at its lower end with a recess, and a spring adapted to be seated in said recess and stressed to bear against the under-surface of said rail base.

, 3l. A rail anchor comprising a rail base engaging yoke formed along itsv edge with a recess and provided with a depending arm, and a spring interposed between said arm and said rail base and adapted to be driven transversely of the rail into said recess.

32. A rail anchor comprising a rail base engaging yoke formed along its edge with a recess and provided with a depending arm, and aI spring stressed in a position be-l tween said arm and said rail base and adapted to Ibe driven transversely of the rail' ating with said arm to provide the other part ,of said tieV abutment; Said curved spring being normally of greater length, when free of the rail, than the distance between said rail base and said seat portion, whereby the application of said spring to its operative position subjects it toa bending strain.

34. A rail anchor comprising a yoke provided at one end with a jaw adapted to lit over one edge of a rail base, a vertically disposed portion at the other end of said yoke providing an abutment for engaging the other edge of said base, an arm adjacent said hook-shaped jaw formed with a spring seat and extending downwardly toward a tie to provide one part of a tie abutment, and a spring curved in a vertical plane cooperating with said arm to provide the other part of said tie abutment, said curved spring being normally of greater length, when free of the rail, than the distance between said |baseand said seat and is formed with an inclined edge extending downward* ly toward the center of the rail, for the purpose described.

35. A rail anchor comprising a rail base embracing yoke and a bowed spring member arranged lsubstantially vertically between the rail ybase and said yoke and adapted to flex on a line transversely of the rail.

B6. A rail anchor comprising a rail base embracing yoke and a substantially vertically arranged spring between the rail base and said yoke to produce a grip of the yokev on said base; said spring being arranged to bearat one end against the rail base and at the other end against the yoke.

LAURENCE J. BERKELEY. 

